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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. season — of the year
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — a group
  8. bass — the fish
  9. club — for golf
  10. bass — low music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — in sport
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pound — a weight
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wax — to grow
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com